Posttraumatic growth in mothers after infant admission to neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

This descriptive and cross-sectional study investigated social support and posttraumatic growth in 210 mothers whose newbornswere hospitalized at neonatal intensive care unit. The study population consisted of all mothers living in the Niğde provincial centerwhose babies were admitted to the Level 1 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between December 2007 and November 2008. The PosttraumaticGrowth Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were administeredin the mothers’ homes. Posttraumatic growth was reported in 75.70% (n=210) mothers. The impact of event and perceivedsocial support were highly (97.40%) predictive of posttraumatic growth. Traumatic events are frequently experienced within thehealthcare system. Current research fi ndings are therefore extremely valuable for preventing the negative impact of traumatic eventson individuals and for transforming the experience into an opportunity for growth.